This is a story with a perfect ending. It started in the 1940s when Charles Price and Harold Fowler invited Norman Sosebee to go with them to Canton High School’s first football game of the season.

The team would be playing Ellijay High School.

The boys decided to take a date with them. Since Norman had dated one girl several times, he assumed she would go with him.

However, she already had a date for the game.

Soon after that he went to Etowah Bank to get $10 from his account for spending money for the weekend.

A pretty redhead named Frances Davis was the teller at the window. They had known one another in high school so they chatted for a while.

Norman was out of the bank and in the middle of the street before he decided he would ask Frances to go to the game. She had planned to go with her parents, but when he invited her to go with him, she accepted.

Norman admits he expected it to be a dull date. In high school Frances had been quiet and studious. In fact, she was class valedictorian.

He was to be at Frances’ house at 6 p.m. He was late.

She called to be sure he was coming because her parents were about to leave and she did not want to miss the game. He was on his way.

As it turned out, it was not a dull date. In fact, it was a fun date. He had no idea Frances was such a football fan.

It was an exciting game with Canton winning by a score of something like 34 to 33.

The entire time, Frances was jumping up and down. Norman said she screamed, cheered, hollered and yelled.

So he joined in. He jumped up and down so much he was sore the next day.

Back at her house, he told her that he had had a nice time and asked her to go to the Canton Theatre the next day for a movie. She already had a date.

That was her last date with anyone else. From that time, you might say they started going steady.

Their big date each week was going to the Canton Theatre on Saturdays. At first, they held hands. On their fourth date, Norman kissed her. After a few months, he told her he loved her. She did not respond. But a few months late, she told him she loved him, too.

They had been dating for more than a year when they were married.

An engagement announcement ran in the local newspaper inviting friends and relatives to the wedding at Canton First Baptist Church at 4 p.m. on Jan. 3, 1948.

That was the wedding anniversary of her parents. A generation later, Norman and Frances’ daughter, Mary Elizabeth, and Bob Smith chose the same date for their wedding.

Thus, three generations of brides shared the same wedding anniversary.

Norman’s father, George Sosebee, was the owner of Sosebee Funeral Home.

Bob Roper of National Casket Co. had given Mr. Sosebee two flower vases. They were filled with flowers for the wedding. Ribbons on the pews marked seating for the family.

The Rev. C. R. Pittard was the preacher and his wife directed the wedding. Miss Martha Galt played the piano and D. J. Whitmire sang “I Love You Truly.”

Frances wore a suit with a hat. Norman’s suit was double-breasted with grey pinstripes. It was his first double-breasted suit.

After the wedding, the couple went to the back of the church, shook hands with everyone and thanked them for coming.

Then, driving Norman’s dad’s car, they were off on their Florida honeymoon. Since neither of them had been to Florida, she read the map while he did the driving.

Sixty-five years later, they have two children, Mary Elizabeth Smith and George Sosebee, two grandchildren, Norman and Adam Smith, and two great-grandchildren, David and Penelope Smith.

They have both retired from successful careers and are well known, respected and loved for their generosity, hard work and good deeds in the community.

So, all of us are invited to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Sat., Jan. 5, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Heritage Baptist Fellowship.

After that, Norman and Frances will continue to live happily ever after.

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